The present disclosure relates generally to a variable nozzle for a turbocharger, wherein a plurality of vanes are each respectively connected to a crank arm that can be rotated one direction or another by an actuation mechanism, such that the vanes are varied in angle in order to vary the flow through the nozzle.
In a conventional variable nozzle of the above-noted type, the crank arms are attached to the vanes by metallurgical bonding such as welding or brazing. This process is susceptible to variabilities, is awkward to perform because of the small sizes of the parts in a typical turbocharger nozzle, and can be expensive.
Additionally, in some cases the vane part to which the crank arm must be connected is non-metallic, such as ceramic. In these cases, metallurgical bonding is not possible.